Cabinet



1928. Aug 7 c. BERGMANN.

CABINET 2 Sheets-.Sheet l Filed March 9, 1925 Aug, 7, 1928.

. C. BERGMANN CABINET Filed March 9. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES CONRAD BERGMANN, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CGLMBIA STEEL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORAL TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CABINET.

Application filed March 9, 1925. Serial No. 14,227.

My invention relates to cabinets, and the principal object oit the invention is to provide a novel and improveddrawer mounting employing ball bearings instead oit the usual rollers.

The invention also resides in a novel and advantageous arrangement of tracks .and in certain novel details of construction hereinatter set forth.

In the attached drawings:

Figure lis a section on the line 1 1, Fig. El, showing a cabinet with my improved drawer mounting, one side of the cabinet being removed to disclose the details oi: lthe r mounting;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2 2, Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a `section similar to Fig. l, but showing the drawer in the open position;

Fig. l is a sectional perspective showing one side andthe bottom ot the cabinet and` the drawer supporting and guiding tracks and slides; y

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of one of the supporting tracks which in assembly is attached to the sides of the cabinet;

Fig. G is a view in perspective of one of the intermediate or floating track members;

Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of Vone of the slide members which in assembly is attached to the drawer; i

Fig. S is a fragmentary perspective illustrating a modification within the scope of the invention, and

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the parts shown yin Fig. S. y

lith reference to thedrawings, the cabi@ net may comprise the usual open fronted rectangular casing l adapted to `receive and house a drawer 2, the latter having a front or :tace plate 3 adapted to close the aforesaid front opening of the cabinet, as illustrated in Fig. l, when the drawer is closed. The cabinet `in the present instance also comprises a .tloor l having at its edges elevated portions 5 which at the sides form support jtor longitudinal track members G, G, one oit which is shown in perspective in Fig. 5. These track members rest upon the elevated portions 5 at the sides oit the cabinet and are secured to brackets 7, 7, which latter ex tend longitudinally of the cabinet and are secured to the inner faces o'f the side walls thereof. y

The general form of the `traclr members (S will be easily understood by reference to Fig. 5, which shows one ofthe track members in perspective. As therein shown, the track member comprises a vertical web 8 having at the top a substantially horizontal inwardly projecting flange 9, the inner edge of which is turned inwardly to i"orm a vertically'depending flange l0. The web 8 also has at the bottom a substantially horizontal inwardly projecting flange ll, the inner edge ot' which is turned upwardly to 'lorm the vertical flange l2. The horizontal llange lll is ribbed at lil to form a longitudinal chair nel 14k between the said rib and the web t3, this channel constituting a race 'for two ball bearings l5 and 1G, as shown in F 5. The licor ot the channel is provided with pressed-up points 17 which constitute stops for the balls and retain them within prode' Obviously, the nature of terminod limits. the stops 17 may vary wirglely, and although in the present instance I have shown them in the form of pressedaip points in the sheet metal, they may be constituted in any other way that may be found desirable. i Similar ly, altliougl'i the rib '1 3 formed in the present instance by pressing up the metal of the flange ll, it is obvious that the race ktmay be formed in other wayswitliout departure from. the essential features of the invention..

A ball bearing` is also carried in the obrannel :termed bythe flanges 9 and Il() andthe upper portion ot the web 8,`this ball [ttl being retained in place by reason ot the pressed-in formation ot the web huilt-atrial at 19 in Fig.` 5. The ball lb is conlined be tween two stops T/)0, 2t), itorined in the present instance by pressingin, at the two points, the metal ot the web t3. The traclrG also carries at its forward end a stop :2f` shown in Fig. l, the function ol. which will be dee scribed hereinafter. i

It will be understood that two of the tracks 6 are employed, in construction the same except that one is lett-handed and the other right-handed l-or attachment to the opposite sides oit the casing.

In each ot the traclz or support members G is an intermediate or tloating slide Q2, one ot whicii shown in perspective in (l, this being the floating slide or track member which is adapted to occupy the tract: meniber 6 shown in Fig. 5. As illustrated, this member 22 is adapted to rest and slide with' in the fixed supporting track 6 with the lower horizontalA flange 26 resting` uponthe balls and 16 and the upper horizontal flange 24 resting under the ball 18. This y ball'18', as shown in Fig. 1, lies'behind a central upwardly extending lug 28 upon the floating track 22', whiclrlug is adapted to engage the' stop 21 on thefixed track 6 to limit the forward or outward movement of the Ifloating track member 22 in the fixed track 6.

In' the advanced position of the floating tracky member; illustrated in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the inner end of the said floating track 22 lies outwardly of the rear stop whiehlimits the travel' of the ball 18. In' order to insureV that the` ball 18 may at all times'occupy a position between the fixed track .6 and the' floating track 22, the rear end of the Harige 24` is inclined upwardly,

' -j as shown in F ig.v 6, and is indicated at 29.

This upwardly projecting portion of the track 22 will, if the conditions demand, `engage the ball 18 and prevent it from passingbackwardly overthe rear end of the tra'ck'22.V .n i

At the front of the track member 22 and within the channel formed by' thev bottom horizontal flange 26, the vertical flange 27 and the web 23, isl a ball bearing 30 whichv Vis permitted to travel in the channel between av stop 31 formed in the manner previously described and a stoppelement32 shown best in'Fig. 6', which is secured tothe horizontal channel of the fixed track 6 formed between the flange 12vand the rib 13, but is of such length'that the upturned end32 thereof projects' beyond the flange 12, and the forward endiof the flange 12, as shown in Fig. '5, is cutaway to permit the complete telescoping of the floating track 22 in the fixed track 6. Theprojecting end 33 of the stop member 32 performs a function hereinafter set forth. The flange 27 of the floating track 22is recessed approximately at the center of the track, as indicated at 34, andv this recess, when the floating track member is assembled in thefixed track 6, forms with the flangel2 a pocket for a ball 35, the latter resting upon the horizontal flange 11 of the track 6 and moving with the floating track 22 in` its movement. The horizontal flange 26 of the floating track 22 is inclined downwardly at the rear, and this downwardly projecting end portion 36 will, in the event of the rear end of the floating track 22 passing beyond the rear stop 17 on the fixed track 6, engage the ball 16, and will prevent the ball from passing beyond the rear end of the floating track The floating track 22 also comprises at the inner side of the vertical web 23 and just rear of lthe center, a longitudinal and inverted race 37 for a ball 38, this race being so formed as to normally retain the ball in spite of the inverted position.

The drawer 2 carries at each side a substantially horizontal outwardly projecting web or flange 39 formed in the present instance as the track member 4() shown in perspective in Fig. 7, which latter comprises a horizontal web 41 having at its inner edge a depending flange 42, and having at its outer edge an upwardly offset portion 43. The

member 40 is secured, as clearly illustrated, to the bottom of the drawer 2, so that the bottom of the flange 41 normally bears upon the ball 35, while the offset portion 43 projects under the race 37 of the floating mem-A ber 22 and engages the ball 3b. The offset portion 43 of the track member 4() also is adapted to engage the ball 30 in the floating track member 22. The rear end of the offset portion 43 of this track member is turned up, as indicated at 44, and this turned up portion is adapted to engage the ball 38 in the race 37 and to prevent movement of the ball 38 past the rear end of the track 40.

'The drawer 2 also carries on the under side and approximately at the mid section a pair of stops 45, 45, one at each side so placed that when the drawer is drawn out, asv shown in Fig. 3, they will engage the upturned end 33 of the stop 32 on the floating track member 22, as shown in Fig. 3. In this manner and through the stops and the stops 28-21, the outward movement of the drawer is limited, and in normal operation it is impossible to retract the drawer to such an extent that it will leave the tracks. The stops are so formed, however, as to permit removal of both the drawer and the intern'iediatetrack member by elevation of their forward ends.

It will be noted by reference to F ig. 3 that, the drawer is adapted to move practically completely out of the cabinet, and that in this outward position, the floating track member 22, which assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, acts as a support for the drawer, preventing its tipping. The inner end of the drawer track 4() bearing against the ball 38 and the mid portion of the'track member 40 resting upon the ball 30 prevents the drawer from tipping downwardly at the front when in the open position, and the floating track member 22 by bearing at the bottom against the balls 15 and 16, and at the top against the ball 1S on the fixed track (i, is also held in position to support the drawer in the normal horizontal position. By reason et the contact between the ball 35 and the drawer track member ll0, the outward movement oit the drawer will tend to rotate the ball and roll it alongI its support ing track on the member 6, this forward move-ment of the ball carrying with it the intermediate or floating` track member 22 which as the drawer is withdrawn accordingly progressively moves outwardly but at one-halt' the speed of the drawer, so that when the drawer reaches the outermost position, the intermediate or floating track 22 has been halitl witlidrawn, as illustrated in Fig. 3. This progressive movement also takes place on the return of the drawer to the closed position, the track 22 moving progressively inward to the normal closed position shown in Fig. l.

By use of ball bearings instead of the usual rollers the durability et the cabinet considerably increased7 since all onrn al pins are eliminated. In addition, the tree movement ot the ball bearings materi ally increases the treedom et movement of the drawer in the cabinet.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated a modiication within the scope of the invention in which instead of the ball I employ a roller el@ jonrnaled on a lixed pin 47 secured in the present instance to a plate 48 attached to the. 'flange 27 ot the floating track inember 22. In all other respects, the construction is similar to that described above, and it has been found that with the roller 4G it is possible to obtain the desired progressive operation of the floating track member, as previously described.

Still further n'ioditications are possible without departure from the essential tea turesl oit the invention.

I claim:

A cabinet having a lifted track of channel form, said track having a rib extending longitudinally in the bottom thereof, telescoping` tracks disposed in the channel oit the {iXed track in spaced relation thereto, balls tor snpportiiigl the telescoping tracks relatively to each other, and balls mount ed in the bottoni of the channel on each side of the rib l'or supporting respectively the said telescoping; trac-ks relatively te the said lined tracks.

CONRAD BERGMANN. 

